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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26008144">Crowned with stars (and deadly as poison)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenclaw_Peredhel/pseuds/Ravenclaw_Peredhel'>Ravenclaw_Peredhel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Middle-Earth One-Shots [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Child Aragorn, Cute Estel, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fëanor Has A Daughter, Glorfindel is married, Glorfindel is sad, Glorfindel is very sad, I am a horrible person for doing this to him, actually</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:33:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26008144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenclaw_Peredhel/pseuds/Ravenclaw_Peredhel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a comment from an elleth raises questions with Estel,  it brings back memories millenia old for Glorfindel. </p><p>I can't do summaries.</p><p>Disclaimer: I own my OC, nothing more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Glorfindel (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Middle-Earth One-Shots [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092071</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Crowned with stars (and deadly as poison)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I saw this really cool picture of Glorfindel online the other day and this has been knocking around in my head ever since.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The picture hangs on the wall in the hall of portraits. It is Glorfy, but not as Estel knows him. Glorfy is always wearing white, green and gold with little golden flowers, and he never ever gets hurt, but the Glorfy in the portrait is wearing black and silver, and there is a bandage around his hand. </p><p>What troubles Estel though is how sad Glorfy is. The Glorfy in the picture is serious yes, but his eyes aren't <em>sad. </em>The Glorfy in the picture is solomn but he doesn't have the sadness in his eyes that Estel can see even when Glorfy laughs. </p><p>He stands in front of the picture a lot, wondering why Glorfy is so different from the picture. One day, he is sitting in front of the picture when a large warm hand rests on his shoulder. "Hello Estel. Did you miss me? Is that why you stand in front of my portrait so?" Estel whirls and squeals in joy. </p><p>"Glorfy! Your back!" Glorfy smiles at him, the same way he always does, big and brightly but with his grey eyes shadowed and sad. He spreads his arms, larger than life, with shining gold armour and white and green clothes embroidered with little gold flowers, the only colours he ever wears.</p><p>"Did you miss me little terror?" Estel nods and throws himself at his tutor/friend/uncle<em>.</em></p><p>Estel grins up at him and, before he can change his mind,  blurts out his question. "Glorfy, why are you so sad? Because I heard Eledhwen from the weavers saying that a wife would make you happy and that she would gladly be your wife. Would that make you happy Glorfy?" Glorfy smiles sadly down at him, the first smile Estel has ever seen reach his eyes, and shakes his head.</p><p>"No Estel, marrying Eledhwen would not make me happy." Estel pouts and runs over the maidens of the valley in his head.</p><p>"Europa? Tindomiel? Mithrellas?  Ooh I know! Wilwariniel!" Glorfy smiles sadly at the last name and his eyes darken with sorrow.</p><p>"No Estel. Marrying one of the elleth would not make me happy."</p><p>"Why Glorfy? I just want everyone to be happy and Eledhwen said a wife would make you happy." He is almost whining by now unable to understand why Glorfy won't understand that a wife would make him happy. Glorfy shakes his head and Estel is startled and ashamed to see tears in his eyes. Maybe he pushed to hard.</p><p>"I appreciate your efforts Estel. But sometimes you just can't do anything but wait." Estee is taken aback by the pain in his voice and so utilises something that <em>always</em> makes people feel better. He gives Glorfy his biggest hugest Estel-bear hug. But this seems to have exactly the opposite effect he was going for as when he pulls away, tears are running down Glorfy's cheeks. Glorfy takes a trembling breath and then stands determinedly back up.</p><p>"Come Estel. I have something to show you." He picks Estel up and makes his way to his chambers swiftly. He pushes open the door and Estel slides down quickly, eager to see whatever Glorfy has to show him. Anything Glorfy shows him is bound to be good. </p><p>Glorfy disappears into his bedchamber for a few moment before returning with a large leather bound portfolio, that is old and worn and filled with pictures. He opens it to the middle and places it on the table, scooping Estel up into his lap to show him. </p><p>Estel sees a smaller version of the portrait he is so puzzled by. Obviously the one on display is only a copy of a part of the piece. This is the full piece, colourful and skilfully executed.</p><p>The picture shows Glorfy, but he is standing behind a chair, which is not shown in the other portrait. In the chair is a breathtakingly beautiful elleth, even for one of the Fair Folk, with long black hair and soft green eyes shot with gold. Her lips are the reddest he has ever seen, curved into an <em>I can kill you in a thousand different ways and I am thinking of the most painful one right now</em> kind of smirk. She too is wearing armour, a golden breastplate, greaves and vambraces, a shining fluttering golden cloak like butterfly's wings or sunlight draped over her shoulders and pooling on the floor. Her clothes beneath are white and green and embroidered with little golden flowers. She is resting her left elbow on the arm of the chair and her chin is supported by her languidly curled hand. A long, bright sword lies across her lap, the hilt in the grasp of her right hand, the blade bright and gold. </p><p>Estel stares at the picture for a long time, wondering just who she is and why no one speaks of her. <em>Why would people not speak of Glorfy's wife, unless... unless.</em> He jumps when a tear splatters on the page and he looks up at Glorfy.  Glorfy is staring at the picture, his eyes full of tears and his lips moving soundlessly. <em>Unless something happened to her. Unless Glorfy lost her somehow.</em>  For a seven year old Estel is insightful and tactful and remains quiet for a long time before breaking Glorfy's reverie in a softer voice than he normally used. "You must have loved her very much Glorfy." Glorfy looks down at the little boy in his lap and smiles, though tears continue to fall down his cheeks.</p><p>"Yes...yes I did. And she loved me too." Estel is silent for a while longer before his still unusually soft voice breaks the silence.</p><p>"Who was she Glorfy?" His silver eyes are wide and full of questions, and his voice is gentle as he hugs his friend comfortingly. </p><p>Glorfy sighs and places a hand on the child's head, turning to the beginning of the portfolio. Estel turns back around as Glorfindel shows him the one of the first pictures, though not the first. They are old for sure, but not faded, and indeed look like new. He realises that someone must have enchanted them many years ago keep them so new looking. </p><p>The picture shows a large hall. A young girl with black hair and green-gold eyes is dancing with a golden haired boy with grey eyes. She is smaller than him, maybe ten or twenty years younger, clad in a beautiful dress, the skirts of which are whirling about her slight frame in vibrant waves of colour as she spins. He thinks that she looks rather like a butterfly. The boy is smiling at her, hands ready to catch her if she falls. </p><p>On a bench near them are four children, a girl with red hair and grey eyes, two boys with black hair and grey eyes and a golden haired blue eyed toddler staring at the dancing couple. Two smiling women watch the children from the doorway, one red haired and green eyed with a frame muscled as if for hard physical labour, one blond and blue eyed with a slender figure. </p><p>Glorfy's voice speaks behind him, faint and faraway as if lost in the memories this picture brings. "This was painted by Ecthelion, my older brother. He painted avidly all of his life and gave all of the ones depicting us to my wife in a flash of foresight, the day before Gondolin fell. She gave them to Elrond shortly before she... never mind. And Elrond kept them safe until I sailed back over the seas, centuries later. </p><p>This is from our childhood in Tirion-" Estel''s gasp cut him off. Glorfy had lived in Tirion! Glorfy chuckled softly and continued in the same far off voice. "In one of the dancing halls. Oh she loved to dance. That is her, spinning in the centre of the picture. That's me next to her. I was always ready to catch her, but she never fell. She was always sure, even as a child. In the end it was me who fell..." His voice nearly trailed off but he shook himself and continued.</p><p>"The other girl is her elder twin, Princess Nelyafinwë, or as she was later known Lady Maedhros." Estel was so surprised he forgot to gasp, Glorfy's wife was the twin of <em>Lady Maedhros</em>? "The two boys next to her. The elder is their cousin Fingon, the younger their first brother Maglor. The toddler is Finrod. Maedhros was always close to Fingon, but it was Finrod my lady and I were closest to, though we went our seperate ways in Beleriand,  he to found Nargothrond and us to join Turukano in Gondolin..." This time Glorfy's voice trailed off completely.</p><p>"And the two ladies?" Glorfy started and continued, his voice still dreamlike and far off. </p><p>"Those were our mothers. The red haired nís  is my lady's mother, Nerdanel the Wise,  wife to the Crown Prince Fëanor. The golden haired nís is my own mother, Ingwen, wife to Elendur, the Chief Advisor for the king.</p><p>My lady always had a fascination for butterflies. She used to laugh and blame her amilessë for it claiming that naming a child Wilwarin was asking for a child obsessed with butterflies. She was so happy when we were young, always dancing and singing. She was known as Wilwarin-Aranel, the 'Butterfly Princess'." </p><p>Estel stares at the picture. He has heard of the Butterfly Princess.  He has always wondered why the various residents of Imladris always whisper of her in corners, breaking off their conversations whenever Glorfy draws near. Glorfy stares down at the picture, obviously lost in memories of a time long past. He is so absorbed that he never notices Estel sliding off his lap and leaving quietly.</p><p>**********</p><p>"Elerrina." Glorfindel smiles to himself, ignoring the pain in his heart. No matter how long it had been, he still feels a wrench in his heart whenever he hears her name or is reminded of her. </p><p>He turns to another picture. This was in a beautiful garden filled with roses and blossoming trees and butterflies. The children were still there but older, and the group had grown. He, Laurë then, and really he still is in his heart of hearts, lounges on the edge of the fountain, smirking lazily at the girl who would later become his wife. She is holding a little girl in her arms and the two are running, chasing a butterfly. The toddler in her arms is straining for the bright pretty thing with both hands, and the girl is laughing, her bright skirts a whirl around her as she twisted to match the butterfly's unexpected change of course. </p><p>Maedhros is there as well, soaking wet, chasing a laughing Fingon with several blond and black haired children clinging to and chasing after her. Maglor sits beneath a tree strumming a harp, with a little blond haired girl next to him braiding his hair into messy plaits. This time, it is the fathers who can be seen, five men standing near a hedge. His own father stands to one side, talking quietly with the king. The other two dark haired ones are arguing fiercely, one clad in soot stained leathers, one in court robes, Fëanor and Fingolfin. The last ner wis blond and blue eyed, watching the children play with a wistful smile, his back deliberately turned on the arguing two. Finarfin. He was the only one of the brothers to find the constant arguing petty and tiring.</p><p>Glorfindel sighs and closes the portfolio, replacing it carefully in it's case on a shelf. </p><p>He misses her so much, a constant ache in his chest, reminding him of lazy childhood days in the light of the Two Trees. Of the incredible moment that they saw the Calaforya<strong>*</strong> for the first time. Of wild nights dancing with the Avari in clearings lit by starlight and roaring bonfires. Of sunny days spent teasing Turgon as he sat on his throne in the halls.</p><p>Maybe, one day he'll see her again. He takes a shaky breath in and goes to annoy Erestor again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Calaforya - no idea oif it's right but that's what I thought the Northern Lights are in Quenya</p><p>So, that made no sense at all. If you have a question comment it please.<br/>Constructive criticism is welcome please. I am still new to and not very good at this whole fanfiction writing thing so...</p><p>Just for the record, Glorfindel is not a weak character, he's been bearing the pain and guilt of losing his wife for millenia alone. Don't judge.</p><p>I found the pic again. Here's the link:<br/>http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/File:Sara_M._Morello_-_Glorfindel.jpg</p></blockquote></div></div>
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